Chaucer El'ahrairah
Chaucer El'ahrairah arrived to the adventuring group as a lost child looking for his "sister", Pyroxene. She had left home a year before in order to travel, leaving her "younger brother" (of a completely different race) behind. After months of searching on his own, he managed to track her down and has been stuck away from home ever since. His most obvious trait is his pair of overly large ears. While unheard of in size, he swears that he'll one day grow into them. His other most obvious trait is his height. He looks very young because, well, he is young for an elf. His height goes along with his youth, which he also swears will change one day. Background Chaucer was born into the world with his uniquely large ears. Shortly after his birth, he was abandoned in the woods, likely left to die. A group of Zahala stumbled across the newborn and took him in, raising him for a short time. The baby was passed around between groups until he was 9 years old, when he was taken in by the Zahala group he is now settled with, which he considers his family. In that group, he met a female Eidolon named Pyroxene and the two became inseparable. Pyroxene, nicknamed Pyro, acted as an older sister to the small elf and watched out for him. When Chaucer was 16, Pyro left to set out on her own, leaving the boy behind. It only took a week before lonliness got the better of the boy and he set out on his own as well, saying "if Pyro can do it, so can I". However, Pyro had a much better understanding of the world than Chaucer did. In his year out on his own, Chaucer became addicted to gambling. What had started as a fun game and a way to make money quickly became a hole he was digging himself into. Gaining a large debt, he fled the town he was in and started to look for Pyro. After several attempts as making more money, and draining a few travellers of their food, he found her. From that moment, he refused to leave her side. Until he saw Phileas. It would be nice to say that Chaucer and Phil had a romantic courtship. It would be, really. Truth be told, Chaucer tried, unsuccessfully, to drop hints and hit on the male iron elf every time he saw him. He was beginning to wonder if he should give up when he went and did the silliest thing; Chaucer got drunk and proposed. Strange as it may seem, Phil soberly agreed to the proposal and the two got married. The happiness of being in a loving marriage was soon put to an abrupt end when Pyro left Chaucer once more. Now without his sister, the strange elf was left with his new husband/wife, whom he adored.. but he still missed his family quite a bit. A year after their wedding, Phil left Chaucer with a tutor while he went on a mission. He was gone for six months while Chaucer's education continued without him and his tutor, a man by the name of Damon Shepard, encouraged a rift between the husband and wife. After a year and a half of marriage, the couple split due to lifestyle disagreements and (accidental) infidelity on Chaucer's part. Upset that Phil would also abandon him, he spends his time with (and without) Damon, broadening his horizons with newfound knowledge and understanding of his world and identity. Recently, he has become a novice alchemist as well as a follower of Aarûn. Chaucer's has started to come to terms with his abandonment and being an orphan. Instead of lying about his past, as he once did, he now takes a sort of pride in having been orphaned. Without his parents getting rid of him, he would never have had the Zahala family he has now, the friends he's made, and the life experience he has had. He is slowly becoming thankful of his blessing and life, though it is a long road before he fully accepts himself and what has happened to him. From his perspective, the future is bright. Personality Chaucer is sort of an interesting elf. At times, his personality is as big and overdramatic as his ears. At other times, it is as small and timid as his size would suggest. He bounces back and forth between excited and mousey. When battle comes into the area, he typically hides, obviously scared of the danger involved in fighting. But now and then, he seems oddly collected about it and can be seen rushing off in search of danger. With his bri ght nature comes a mischievous side. He enjoys trying to annoy other adventurers, specifically his friend Alicia. She usually lowers herself to his level and starts to argue with him. This pleases the boy greatly. A war of annoyance won. Despite his childish ways, he does have a genuinely good heart. He loves to help out where he can and feeding everyone is especially rewarding for him. While he is usually happy around the group, the subject of his ears can bring out the other side of him. He gets incredibly self-conscious about his abnormally large ears and the very mention of them can put him in a foul mood. He shrinks into himself, embarrassed, and covers them as best he can. More recently, he has started to grow up a bit and lose that childish nature. While not entirely an adult and not entirely a child, he walks a tightrope between the two sides of his personality. As he learns more about himself and the true nature of the world, he sees that there isn't just good and evil and nothing is black and white. The world is a big grey area and he now wants to navigate it without fear. Skills and Hobbies Chaucer is actually a fairly skilled child. Having grown up with the Zahala people, he learned a good deal of fortune telling. It is actually one of the only things he feels confident that he can do and do well. Aside from teaching him the art of telling fortunes, his adopted family taught him how to paint. He doesn't have as much time to sit and work with his water colors, but enjoys the time he does spend on his art. He's also becoming quite the cook. He enjoys cooking as a hobby, but has started to see the financial benefit since he's been travelling. Every time he meets up with the adventurers, he's able to use his skill in cooking to feed them and gain a small profit for himself. A merchant named Jack has stepped forward to give Chaucer the idea that he could actually be making a lot more money if he set his mind to it. A professional food service has, since, been playing in the boy's mind. Aside from cooking, he's becoming a promising alchemist. With the help of a Chatûl named Torren, he's put more effort into his study and made a push to use his newfound knowledge to protect himself and others. Hearing of War Alchemists has given the boy a way of using his skill to good use in the creation of bombs, which he can use to fight. No longer defenseless, he knows he can repay all those who had protected him in years past and do his best to protect them in their time of need. Significant Relationships Phileas Phil was Chaucer's husband/wife (Chaucer goes back and forth on what he wants to call the older elf). They met a year and a half ago and were married shortly after. Chaucer loved Phil more than anything else and hated, more than anything else, the thought of losing him. While Phil tried to bring out the best in Chaucer through love and religion, the younger elf just grew tired of being told what to do and who to be. With encouragement from his Tutor, he admitted his issues to Phil, who then divorced him (though it was also because the younger elf accidentally cheated on his wife). He is now somewhat bitter about his divorce and angry at Phil for leaving him. After several rather sorted issues with Phil, the two are now not talking. The most recent of these issues actually spurred Chaucer into leaving the group with his friend Tari in tow. After several years apart, they have decided to be civil and make amends. Chaucer hopes they can return to a friendly relationship. Tari A somewhat mysterious elven woman he came to know some years ago. They attempted friendship for a time before his childish jealousy shut the door for that, seemingly for good. After a temporary truce, Tari was the only one there for him in his hour of need. At his absolute lowest, she was there beside him with a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. Since that time, they've been inseparable, traveling together. She knows every aspect of his life and has been his biggest supporter. Out of everyone he has never known, she has been the most active in his life. She gave up her old life to be with him, travel alongside him, and keep him on the right path. They share a bond that could never be replicated, for better or for worse. To him, Tari is more than even a sister. She is more like a part of himself that he needs in order to function. Without Tari, he would never be able to continue his work. They operate under a careful crafted veil, believing their work is of the utmost importance to the world. While they have no proof, they continue to work together to ensure they see this through to the end, whether they are doing the work of the light.. or of the dark. Rayne A member of the Red Sash and a rival for Carmilla's affections, Rayne is still somewhat of a friend for Chaucer. Despite their issues with one another, he is a trusted ally and a person that Chaucer relies on. 'Dawn' A young Chatûl girl that Chaucer met on his first adventure. Fearless at times and always ready to jump into any situation that needs her, Dawn is a force to be reckoned with. Chaucer finds himself in awe of the younger child's bravery and often wishes he had the guts to run onto the battlefield the way she does. Being two of the youngest adventurers, the two share a close bond and spend a good deal of time together. While they jokingly bicker now and then, Chaucer knows that Dawn is someone he can rely on as she is usually throwing herself in front of him when danger is near. In some ways, he feels like an older brother to the girl. But somehow, he feels like he may be the younger brother. [[Ivar the Black|'Ivar the Black']] A very tall, very strong man that Chaucer met when he arrived in the adventurer's camp his first night. Ivar is part of the Order of the Red Sash, a group that Chaucer somewhat feels affiliated with. A good portion of that "acceptance" he feels in the group comes from Ivar. While they may not be close in any way or talk to one another much, Chaucer looks up to Ivar as the sort of person he'd like to become (strong, brave, and tall). Ivar has always been kind to Chaucer, or at least tolerant of the child hanging around the group. Chaucer almost sees Ivar as a father figure, seeing Ivar as a protector rather than a mercenary. Cause that would be pretty cool, having such a kick-ass father. 'Wing' A Chatûl woman that Chaucer met early in his time with the adventurers, just before he found his sister. He does not spend as much time with her as he would like, never having found a believable reason to seek her out. Through Phil, he's gained the reason he was looking for. She is kind and patient with Chaucer, which makes him feel very comfortable with her. Having grown up without a real family, and certainly without parents, he sees Wing as a surrogate mother (though he'd never admit he needed one). Wing always supported Chaucer, no matter what he did. Even at his lowest points, she would tell him she stood by him and would do anything in her power to help him. Her sacrifice and her love will never be forgotten and her memory will forever weigh heavy on his conscience as he battles to do the right thing. She will always be his mother, more than she ever kn Damon Shepard A human tutor hired by Phil to teach and watch Chaucer while the Iron Elf was away for around five months. He encouraged the young elf to be himself and to be unafraid. He's taught him how to read and write, geography, history, mathematics, and anything else he thought the boy should know. This caused many issues and eventually caused Chaucer to discover some uncomfortable truths about his parentage. Carmilla Chaucer met Carmilla formally after being in her presence for several weeks. They didn't really make acquaintance until she suddenly wound up as property for he and Phil (long story short, money and weapons rained down from the sky upon them and Carmilla with it). From that point on, she was with them. And more importantly for Chaucer, she was with him. They struck up a friendship, largely of sarcasm and mutual disdain for stupidity, though the fact she was pretty didn't hurt. Over time, she remained one of the few who were loyal to him. Like Wing, she stayed with him, supported him, and never stopped trusting him. She earned a place in his heart that, during a long absence, he recognized as love. Though she is the vessel for the Dowager, they don't have the option to explore a relationship should they want one (though he is quick to remind that the Dowager has not only never hurt him, she has actually protected him). Regardless, she is what Chaucer considers his one of his 2 best friends and would never trade that. Caswen A fae blooded (?) individual with a dry delivery and a biting sense of humor, Caswen is a bit of a kindred spirit for Chaucer. They have surprisingly similar outlooks and he appreciates the blunt honesty she brings. Where he likes to cover up and deny, she will always shine light and truth. Though he hasn't known her long, he'd trust her more than any other individual he knows. She may be snarky and rough, and always quick to bring all his bad decisions to light, but she is loyal and she is someone that Chaucer appreciates having around. Though he'd never dream of "cheating" on Carmilla, he has a special bond with Caswen that he can't quite explain. It drives him a little crazy that he can't figure her out, but that could be what attracts him to her. Vezra An Eidolon woman that Chaucer ended up striking a friendship with. She's extremely smart and level-headed, someone he finds he needs more often than not. He trusts Vezra with more information than almost any other person in his life. He knows she's honest and that she is a good keeper of knowledge. He has few allies, but would list Vezra among the top. Anamchara A satyr he'd known on and off for several years who managed to worm her way into his good graces. She has a quirky way about her, but when push comes to shove she's tough. He enjoys that about her and how understanding she is. Like Vezra, he trusts her with vital information that he's aware of and would definitely put her in his top list of most do-able allies trusted allies. Cainith A human Paladin that Chaucer has known since the very start of his adventures with the "Heroborn". He's a literal pillar of justice and goodness in a world that Chaucer has seen first hand to be full of evils. As a child, he saw Cainith as the ultimate ideal of what a hero is. Now as an adult, he knows this to be true. When in need, he knows Cainith will be there to assist him and do the right thing. He is a Hero, and sometimes, that's what Chaucer needs.Category:Characters